William j



No. 6I3,26I. Patented Nov. I, I898. w. J. FLEMING.

GARMENT SUPPORTING DEVICE.

(Application filed July 24, 1897.)

(No Model.)

Wz'rawaar o a o WzZ/zzwfflamrzy. izw'rzzbr mo {m NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. FLEMING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GARMENT-SUPPORTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,261, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed July 24, 1897- Serial No. 645,823. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FLEMING, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supporting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to supporting devices for womensapparel,andparticularly tomeans for sustaining the dress-skirt and at the same time holding down the shirt-Waist; and the object of m yimprovement is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for this purpose which shall at the same time hold the garments securely in place and be easily appliedand adjusted by the wearer. To this end I provide a supporting belt or band adapted to be secured around the waist of the wearer by a buckle or other suitable fastening. Upon this belt or band and longitudinally adjustable thereon are carried plates provided with fastening devices which are adapted to engage with corresponding fastening devices which are fixedly secured to the waist and skirt at suitable points. The fixed fastener or fasteners upon the waist are secured to the outer side thereof and engage with a corresponding fastening device or devices upon 0 .the inside of the supporting belt or band, and

the fastening devices upon the skirt are secured to the inside of the skirt-band and engage with corresponding fastening devices upon the outside of the supporting belt or band, so that when the garments are in place the supporting belt or band is between the waist and the skirt-band and is concealed by the latter. Since the fastening devices upon the supporting belt or band are movable thereon they can be adjusted to correspond in position to the fixed fasteners on the garments and also for convenience in engaging the fasteners, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The operation of my invention in this respect and its nature will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which' Figure 1 shows a view of the device with the belt on the wearer and the shirt-waist attached thereto. Fig. 2 shows the belt on the wearer with the skirt in process of attachment. Fig. 3 shows a detail view of the belt with the several fastening parts.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several fig ures.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a supporting belt or band, of webbing or other suitable material, adapted to be secured around the waist of the wearer at the front by a buckle a or other suitable fastening devlce.

b is a button or stud which is secured to the waist at about the level of the skirt-band and is adapted to engage in an opening I) in a plate B, which is secured to the belt A. The plate B is secured to the belt A by means of a loop or loops, through which the belt passes, so that the plate can be moved longitudinally on the belt.

To the inner side of the skirt-binding at points near the rear opening of the skirt and on either side thereofare secured plates 0 0, having openings 0 0', adapted to receive studs or buttons at d, which are secured to or form a part of plates D D, which are carried upon the belt A on either side of the plate B and are secured to the belt in the same manner as the plate B or so as to be movable thereon.

In order to prevent accidental disengagement of the buttons when in use, the several buttons 12 d d and the openings b c c, with which they severally engage, are each made with a longer and a shorter axis and are severally so disposed with respect to each other that when a button is within the opening adapted to receive it and in the position in which it is to be worn its longer axis is at right angles to the longer axis of the opening, as shown in Fig. 3.

In using the device the belt is first secured to the waist-stud b by first turning the belt so that the longer axis of the opening I) ooincides with that of the stud b, then inserting the stud in the opening, and turning the belt into position for wearing, when the button is locked in the opening. Other means of securing the waist to the belt, such as an ordinary button and button-hole, may be employed without departing from the essence of the invention, this part of the device being simply intended to hold down the dress-waist. The belt is then secured around the body with the buckle a in front. The plates D D are moved along the belt A toward the front of the body to positions on each side, where they can be conveniently reached for the engagement of the studs d d with the openings 0 c. The corners of the skirt, with the plates 0 O, are then brought forward, in doing which the plates are turned so that the openings 0 a can be readily applied to the studs d d, and the openings and studs are brought into engagement. The plates 0 C are then slipped back along the belt to the rear of the body adjacent to the plate B, and the operation is completed. By the backward motion of the plates 0 0 they are made to turn so that when they reach their positions in the rear of the body the studs d (1 lie across the openings 0 c and are thus locked therein Without effort. By this means the waist is held down in place,

vand at the same time the skirt is securely supported Without possibility of disengagement.

If desired, additional buttons may be secured to the waist near the front thereof with corresponding plates on the belt; but I find that ordinarilya single button at the back of the waist is sufficient for the purpose.

Other forms of studs or securing devices may be used without departing from my invention, though I have found the form described and shown in the drawings a desirable one, and, if desired, the engaging parts of each duplex attaching device may be reversed, the stud being attached to the skirt and the plate with the engaging openings to he belt, it being only essential that the part carried by the belt shall be adjustable thereon for the reasons indicated.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A garment-supporting device consisting of a supporting-belt, means for securing such belt to the dress-Waist, a pair of plates having elongated heads and a pair of plates having elongated openings adapted to receive said heads, the one pair of plates being carried by said belt and movable thereon and the other pair being secured to the interior of the skirtband at the rear thereof, whereby when said plates are moved toward the front of the body the longer axes of said heads and openings are made to coincide and when engaged and moved toward the rear of the body said plates on the skirt-band are turned so that said heads and openings are interlocked.

2. In agarment-supporting device, the combination of a supporting-belt; studs, having elongated heads, carried thereby and adjustable thereon; and plates, having elongated openings adapted to receive said heads, secured to the inside of the skirt-band at the rear thereof; said heads and openings being so arranged that by the movement thereof toward the front of the body their longer axes may be made to coincide and when engaged and moved backward such axes are crossed and the parts thus interlocked, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 23d day of July, A. D.

1897. WILLIAM J. FLEMING.

\Vitnesses:

CLARKSON A. COLLINS, SANDS F. RANDALL. 

